About Me - I love Southern cooking and baking, and there is nothing better than experiencing and eating good food. Baking is not only a passion and something I love to do, but it's also a relaxer of the mind. Growing up, in my family, cooking and baking was always about the love of food, our ancestors, family traditions and experimenting with different ingredients. Cooking represents joy, laughter, love and it brought our family together. Gathering in the kitchen watching my mom cooking (although she never told me her secrets) was my favourite pastime and our kitchen was always the favourite room in the house. Not only for the great food it produced, but it also held the best conversations!
I come from generations of great chefs, bakers and caterers who only baked from scratch and by taste, so baking isn't just something to do, it's in my blood. Today I follow the same tried and trusted methods (cooking by taste and not specifically by recipe) handed down through the generations, while experimenting with new flavours combinations of my own.
Background - In 2001, while holding a full-time job as an IT Executive, I started a small catering business in my hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada. I serviced private events, corporate events, offsite retreats, birthday parties, and small weddings. To my amazement the business became very successful amongst the local community through word of mouth and ultimately reputation. During that time, to perfect my baking craft, I studied the technique of baking and cake decorating with Wilton Baking school, and I attended various baking courses, trainings and certifications. After three years of success, I decided it was time to move on and re-focus full-time on my Management Consultancy business.
After relocating to Scotland in 2009, I found myself alone without my immediate family and friends, so I started baking again for relaxation and to keep myself busy. That quickly grew to baking for my neighbours, extended family, friends, and work colleagues. Who knew that would take off like game busters! In 2011, I established 'Just a Lil Mo Kake' from my home certified kitchen and begin baking as a side job. In 2013, I changed the name of the business to Cups 'N' Cakes by Monica, converted my garage into a full bake shop on the weekends, and my Farmers Markets and festivals journey began, all while holding down a full-time job.
After a few years of doing markets, festivals and special events, the business and customer base had truly outgrown my garage bakery. In 2016, I decided it was time to look for a permanent brick and mortar location, so more people could experience what other's were already enjoying. We kept our name but did a little rebranding to incorporate more American products, not only focussing on our custom cupcakes brand but showcasing more of our brownies, blondies, pies and custom cakes, and of course the Traditional American Whoopie Pie, moving us from a Cupcakery to an American Bakehouse.
Today, I still hold down a full-time job while running my business. Cups 'N' Cakes by Monica is not a large complex bakery but a small bakehouse known for it's great conversations along with our custom made cupcakes, cakes, brownies and of course our popular whoopie pies, using the finest American ingredients, introducing new and exciting flavour combinations all with my flair and an American taste. My vision is to allow other's to experience the flavours of baking I had growing up in my family. My aim is also to provide not just good customer service, but a Customer Experience that will keep customers coming back again and again!
That's the true American Way!
Monica
I come from generations of great chefs, bakers and caterers who only baked from scratch and by taste, so baking isn't just something to do, it's in my blood. Today I follow the same tried and trusted methods (cooking by taste and not specifically by recipe) handed down through the generations, while experimenting with new flavours combinations of my own.
Background - In 2001, while holding a full-time job as an IT Executive, I started a small catering business in my hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada. I serviced private events, corporate events, offsite retreats, birthday parties, and small weddings. To my amazement the business became very successful amongst the local community through word of mouth and ultimately reputation. During that time, to perfect my baking craft, I studied the technique of baking and cake decorating with Wilton Baking school, and I attended various baking courses, trainings and certifications. After three years of success, I decided it was time to move on and re-focus full-time on my Management Consultancy business.
After relocating to Scotland in 2009, I found myself alone without my immediate family and friends, so I started baking again for relaxation and to keep myself busy. That quickly grew to baking for my neighbours, extended family, friends, and work colleagues. Who knew that would take off like game busters! In 2011, I established 'Just a Lil Mo Kake' from my home certified kitchen and begin baking as a side job. In 2013, I changed the name of the business to Cups 'N' Cakes by Monica, converted my garage into a full bake shop on the weekends, and my Farmers Markets and festivals journey began, all while holding down a full-time job.
After a few years of doing markets, festivals and special events, the business and customer base had truly outgrown my garage bakery. In 2016, I decided it was time to look for a permanent brick and mortar location, so more people could experience what other's were already enjoying. We kept our name but did a little rebranding to incorporate more American products, not only focussing on our custom cupcakes brand but showcasing more of our brownies, blondies, pies and custom cakes, and of course the Traditional American Whoopie Pie, moving us from a Cupcakery to an American Bakehouse.
Today, I still hold down a full-time job while running my business. Cups 'N' Cakes by Monica is not a large complex bakery but a small bakehouse known for it's great conversations along with our custom made cupcakes, cakes, brownies and of course our popular whoopie pies, using the finest American ingredients, introducing new and exciting flavour combinations all with my flair and an American taste. My vision is to allow other's to experience the flavours of baking I had growing up in my family. My aim is also to provide not just good customer service, but a Customer Experience that will keep customers coming back again and again!
That's the true American Way!
Monica